Braider



Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,309

M. POSTLEWAIT BRAIDER Filed May 7. 1925 FIG. 1

i 1 1 i I l I 1 I 1 ii! I l g I .1 I I I J H I.

gwwwtoz v .Clttolnpq Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

MABTfiA POSTLEWAIT, OE DENVER, COLORADO.

Application filed May 7,

This invention relatest'o improvements in braiders.

The primary object of this invention'is the provision of a braideradapted for use on sewing machines to permit bra-id or embroidery silkto be sewn to fabricwhich has been previously stamped with a pattern.

A further object of the'invention is to provide abraider of the abovementioned type which may be attached to any sized sewing machine andwill permitthe operator ofthe machine to employ both hands for guidingthe fabric; the braid or embroidery silk being handled entirely by thebraider. A still further object of the invention is to provide a braiderwhich is especially con structed to permit the stamped pattern to beviewed at all times, thereby permitting the lines of the pattern to be.accurately followed. i i 1 Other objects and advantages. of the incoursevention will .be apparent during the of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part-"of thisspecification and inwhichlike numerals are employed to designate. like parts throughout thesame, g l f Figure '1 is, a side elevational view of the braiderembodying this invention, shown in full lines, arranged upon theresserfoot of asewing machine, shown in dotted lines, Figure 2 is atopplan view of the structure. shown in Fig. -1 with the braid shown indotted lines properly arranged in respect to the braider, 1'

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the braider embodying thisinvention, Figure 4 is aplan view of the blank which the braider isformed,and- I Figure 5 is a plan view of apiece'of fabric to'which braidhas been sewn'by means ofthe braider embodying this invention,

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is showna'preferred embodiment of this invention, the numeral 5- designates'thepresser foot of a sewing ma-, chine which is formed with thehorizontally from extending base portion 6 having projecting I 20 whichhas had sewn" thereto the braid 19,

therefrom the inclined, relatively. large toe 7. and the smallerandnarrower toe 8 which is spaced laterally from the larger toe 7.

The blank from which the braider is to s be. formed is shown in Fig. 4and includes a body portion 9 having extending laterally from onelongitudinal edge a pair "of 1925. Serial No. 28,678.

spaced fingers 1'0which are intended to be bent upon the dotted lines 11to form the substantially rectangularly-shaped straps 12,

see Figs. l to 3 inclusive. It will be noted by inspecting Fig. 8 thatthe bottom of each strap 12 is bowed inwardly. The remain- 1mglongitudinal edge of the body portion 9 of this blank is provided at oneend with a pair of relatively short fingers 13 which are intended to bebent upwardly in opposite directlons to form the guiding hooks 14;,

see Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. This longitudinal edge of the body portion 9of the blank is further pro'videdwith a lateral extension 15 which hasformed in its outer transverse edge anotch 16 having its inner edgeformed with a smaller notch 17.

. It will be noted by inspecting Figs. land 7 3 that the [forward end 18of the bodyportion 9, ofthe blank is bent at an angle to the remainingportion of the same for permit ting the bodyportion to fit or conformwith the angularity of the base portion 6 and relativelyfl large toe 7of the presser foot 5.

In applying this braider to a presser'foot, the relatively/large toe71is inserted through the straps 12 of the braider, in the manner shownin Figsql and 2- .The inwardly bowing of the bottom portions of thesestraps Wlll permit the braider to be applied to toes ofudifierent widthsas the binding engagementis produced by thethickness of the toeand notthe width. The braid 19, see Fig. 2, isplaced betweenthe toes 7 and Setthe presser foot and the bra-ider should then be applied to the largertoe 7.. The

braid should thenwbefed rearwardly between the guiding ho0ks14 and willbe entirely guidedby these hooks. The notches 16 and 17, of ditferentsizes, are employed for accommodating difierent materials such as allsilk embroidery thread including sweater silk, rope silk, etc.,and braidof relatively small sizes and also goldor'silver cord., The largerbraidsor silks will, of

,c0 urse,'be received within the larger notch 16' whilethe smallerbraids'or silks will he received within" the smaller. notch 17. In Fig.5 there is shown a piece offabric the, said braid being stitch'edto thefabric along the lines of a stamped pattern or de- 1g'n.p.- 1 y 7 It.Will'be seen by'inspecting Fi 1 that the 'angularity of the larger toeof the presser foot andthe carrying of the braid byv lowed.

the spaced clamping members 10 in the fore and aft direction, and thearrangement of the resilient portion 12 adapted to engage the undersurface of the leading toe portion 7 of the presser foot with themembers extending transverse of the toe, provides a structure which iscapable for use with different types of presser foot structures, sincethe engagement is at points Widely spaced apart in the direction oflength of the toe, and hence can be readily positioned on toes ofdiliferent configurations whenlooked at in side view, the two membersproviding eff cient clamping action while permitting ready positioningof the attachment upon the toe. 1

Hooks 14, by reason of theirpartioular structure and arrangement have adirect ad' vantage in connection with the bodystrue ture andarrangement. As will be seen, the front portion of the body 9and whichspans the slit of the presser foot in front of the needleis ofcomparatively shortlength in the fore and aft direction of theattachment, especially when considered on the line which passes throughthe notches 16 and 17, the width of the remainder of the, body portionin rear of this spanning. portion, being such as to only cover theleading toe of the presser foot, so that this rear portion of the bodyportion doesnot overliethe line of the presser-foot slot, thearrangement being such that while the slit-spanning portion overlies theother toe of the'presser foot, the entrance to the slit itself can beseen from above when theattachment is in position. While the notches 16,17 provide for a recess in the advance edge of the attachment, the rearedge of the spanning portion extends transverse to the direction oflength of the slit, so that the attachment presents no materialobstruction to sight olthe work to be braided beyond that which would behidden by the presser foot itself, with the exception of the slit of thepresser foot. the pattern which is to be braided can be readily followedby the operator, the line of the pattern to be stitched being exposedpractically to the entrance of the slit,

Under these conditions the characteristics of the books 14: areofmaterial value. As will be seen, the pair of hooks are spaced apart inthe fore and aft direction of'the presser foot, with each hook having anopen side, the rear hook having its open side facing the coveringportion of the body, thus preventing the advancing braid frombeingshifted laterally in a direction to materially obscure the advancingpattern line, and at As a result,

the same time permitting ready introduction of the braid into the zonein which it needs to travel in a predetermined path. The open side ofthe forward hook opens in the opposite direction, so' that it acts toprevent the braidshifting laterally toward the covering portion of thebody and away from the line of advancement. The two hooks thus tend toproduce the effect of an eye in preventing material lateral shift of thebraid, and yet the spacing of the hooks permits ready positioning OftllGbraid, and permits the eye to be located in proximity to the plane oftheline of the leading presser foot toe, so that the 'braidheld abovethe advancing work by the posit-ions of the hooks, will not materiallyobscure the pattern line. The latter arrangement is possible since theopen side of the forward hook is away from the body portion, so that thedirection of lead of the braid can extend in practically a direct linefrom the rear hook to the stitching point, doing this without materiallyoverlying the path of desired travel of the pattern line to the entranceto'the presser. foot slit.

It is to. be understood that the form of this invention herewith shownand described is to be taken as apreferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size, and'arrangement of parts mayberesorted to without departing fromrthe spirit of the invention or thescope of the subj oined claims. 7

Having thus described the invention, 1 claim 1. In braiding attachmentsfor sewing ma chines, wherein the attachment is detach ably secured tothe leading toe of the presser foot and'is adapted to guide thebraidmaterial-to the stitching zone of the needle, a main body having meansfor clamping the attachment to the presserfoot toe, said'body having aportion adapted to span the presser foot slit at the rear of the needle,said body also having a pair of spaced guiding hooks at the rear of'saidspanning portionand adapted to guide the braiding material toward thestitching line, the: width of the body within such hook zone beingsuflicient only to cover the said toe or the presser foot, whereby saidelements co-operate to permit proper feeding of the braid material whilepresenting a minimum obstruction to observation of the work beingbraided as the latter is led beneath the presser foot.

2. An attachment as in claim 1, characterized in that the pair of hooksare arranged in fore and aft direction relative to the direction ofbraid advance and are positionedto locate the braid material above thepresser'foohwith the axis of the hooks arranged to lead the braidforwardly in the direction of the needle.

' 3. An attachment as in claim 1, characterill) ized in that the pair ofhooks are arranged in fore and aft direction relative to the di rectionof braid advance and are positioned to locate the braid material abovethe presser foot, with the axis of the hooks arranged to lead the braidforwardly in the direction of the needle, each hook having an open side,

with the open side of one hook facing opposite that of the other hook.

4-. An attachment as in claim 1, character ized in that the pair ofhooks are arranged in fore and aft direction relative to the directionof braid advance and are positioned to locate the braid material abovethe'presser foot, with the axis of the hooks arranged to lead the braidforwardly in the direction of the needle, each hookhaving an open side,with the open side of one hook facing opposite that of the other hook,and with the open side of the rear hook facing the toecovering portionof the body, whereby the rear hook will prevent the braid material fromshifting in the direction to cover the work pattern as the latterapproaches the entrance to the resser-foot slit, the forward hookpreventing shift of the braid material laterally away from the line ofadvance of main body, and adapted to clamp the attachment by engagementwith the under face of the leading toe at spaced points in the fore andaft direction, whereby the attachment may be secured to varying types ofpresser foot structures.

6. An attachment as in claim 1 character ized in that the clamping meansis in the form of spaced resilient members extending substantiallytransversely beneath the main body, and adapted to clamp the attachmentby engagement with the under face of the leading toe at spaced points inthe fore and aft direction of the presser foot toe, the spacing of saidmembers being greater than that of the pair of guiding hooks in the foreand attdirection of the presser foot toe, wherev by the attachment maybe secured to varymg typesof presser foot structures.

In testimony whereof I ,aflix my signature.

MARTHA POSTLEWAIT.

